我们即将讨论《圣经》中的三本智慧书
We’re exploring three books in the Bible known as the wisdom literature
《箴言书》《传道书》以及《约伯记》
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Job
这三本书都探讨了一个问题 怎样才算活得有意义
and they’re all asking the question what does it mean to live well in this world
我们先看《箴言书》 它好似一位年轻睿智的老师
So we looked at proverbs who you could think of as a bright young teacher
她谈论的内容都是关于追求智慧的 智慧是上帝的一个属性 体现于万事万物
She’s all about pursuing wisdom an attribute of God that’s woven into reality
她很乐观 认为你善用智慧 就会创造成功的人生
and she’s optimistic that if you use wisdom you will build a successful life
下面我们看《传道书》 他更像一个犀利的中年批评家
but then we come to Ecclesiastes who’s more like the sharp middle-aged critic and he says
他写到 如果你认为凭智慧就能成功
You think using wisdom will bring you success
那么你还需深思 因为日光之下的生活本是虚空
You’d better think again because life here under the sun is meaningless
该书中反复提到这个观点
and that’s a phrase you use a lot in this book
但是要读懂这本书 首先我们要意识到书中有两种声音
but to understand this book we have to realize first that we’re hearing two voices
一位是我们称为批评家的老师
So first there’s the teacher and we’ve been calling him the critic
他是这本书中的主要声音
He’s the main voice in the book
另一位是作者 是他介绍了批评家给我们
but he is introduced to us by another figure the author
他收集了批评家的论述
and he’s the one who’s collected the critics words
在书的结尾进行了总结 得出最终的结论
and then at the end of the book summarizes everything and gets the final word
那么 作者为什么要听来自批评家的声音呢？
So why does the author wants to hear from the critic?
因为他要彻底改造你的世界观
He wants to turn your view of the world upside down
他将让批评家去探索真正困扰世人的三件事
and he’s gonna let the critic explore three really disturbing things about the world
我们应该提醒你 这些都是非常认真的
and we should warn you these are pretty intense
没错！第一件就是时间的流逝
Yeah! So the first is the march of time
批评家说道
whereas the critic says
一代过去 一代又来
Generations come and generations go
地却永远长存
but the earth it’s been here long before us and will be long after
已过的世代 无人记念 将来的世代 后来的人也不记念
No one remembers people from long ago and all the people yet to come
最终 他们都会被后人遗忘
They too will be forgotten by those who come after them
所以 从宇宙的尺度上看 你我的存在都只是个瞬间
and so on a cosmic scale, you and I, we are just a blink
恒星诞生 然后消亡 行星形成 各按轨道
stars are born and then they die and form planets with orbit new stars
恒星行星不断演变 最终燃烧毁灭
and those planets they change over time and eventually burnt up
认识到这个宇宙背景 就会感悟人的一生只不过是一瞬而已
And admits this cosmic backdrop, my entire existence is like a blink in time
这就引发批评家对第二件困扰世人的事情的思索
which leads to the critic’s second disturbing observation
那就是 人都要死亡
that we are all going to die
人类最终要面临与动物同样的命运
Humans face the same fate as the animals
难逃一死 所有人 无论义人或恶人
Death, all people, the righteous and the wicked
好人或坏人
The good and the bad
献祭给上帝的或不献祭的
Those who offer sacrifices to God and those who do not
最终结局都一样
They all share the same destiny
所有的活动 所有的疯狂 结局都是死亡
all this activity and madness then we all join the dead
哦！这本书令人沮丧
Man! This book is depressing
不仅如此 批评家还提到第三件困扰世人的事情
and so is the final disturbing thing for the critic
即 人生无常
and that is life’s random nature
按《箴言书》的观点 人生并非无常
So in Proverbs, life isn’t random
而是万事有因果 好人有好报
There’s a clear cause-and-effect relationship between doing the right thing and being rewarded
但实际上 人生并非总是如此
But the fact is that life doesn’t always work that way
批评家观察到因果律中有例外
The critic has observed a glitch in the system
他称之为机会 按他所说
He calls it, Chance, or in his words
快跑的未必能赢
The race doesn’t always go to the swift
力战的未必得胜
nor the battle to the strong
智慧的未必得粮食
nor does food always come to the wise
明哲的未必得资财
or wealth to the brilliant
灵巧的未必得喜悦
or favor to the educated
结果如何在于时机
time and chance happen to them all
所以 他强调的是 人不能把握自己的命运
So his point is that you can’t really control anything in life
人生难测
It’s just way too unpredictable
所以 如果我想掌控我的人生
so if i want to master life
那你注定要失败
then you’re setting yourself up for a fall
在本书中 批评家使用隐喻将这些困扰人生的事情联系起来
Now throughout the book, the Critic uses a metaphor to tie together all of these disturbing ideas
他使用“Hevel”这个词近40次
Nearly 40 times he says that everything in life is “Hevel”
这是希伯来语词汇 意为烟或蒸汽
it’s a Hebrew word that means smoke or vapor
生命就像烟一样 美丽而神秘
Like smoke, life is beautiful and mysterious
它一会儿是这样的形状
It takes one shape and before you know it
很快又变成另外一种形状
It takes a new shape
烟虽看起来有形体 但你若试图抓住它 它又会从你指间溜走
and smoke look solid but try and grab it it will slip right through your fingers
当你身处浓烟之中 就像陷入迷雾一样 看不清方向
and when you’re stuck in the thick of it like fog, it’s impossible to see clearly
然而 我们现在的翻译把这些隐喻的含义都丧失了
Now our modern translations have lost the metaphor
只是简单的把“Hevel”翻译为“虚空”
and they usually translate “Hevel” as meaningless
然而 如果你认真阅读 你会发现批评家并不是说人生毫无意义
but if you read closely the critic isn’t saying that life has no meaning
而是说人生的意义并不明确
but rather that its meaning is never clear
人生就像烟一样 令人困惑
Like smoke, life is confusing
容易迷失 无法把握
It’s disorienting and uncontrollable
所以 我们该怎么做呢？
So what are we supposed to do with all of this?
好！令人惊讶的是 首先批评家认可了《箴言书》的观点
Well! Surprisingly, the critic first of all acknowledges the perspective of Proverbs
他说 寻求智慧敬畏上帝是明智的
He says it’s a really good idea to learn wisdom and to live in the fear of the Lord
真的吗？他不是说这样做未必能够成功吗？
Really?! I mean he just said that doesn’t guarantee success
但是 他知道这样做是正确的
but he knows it’s the right thing to do
他还说 既然不能掌控自己的人生
but secondly and more often he says that since you can’t control your life
就不要去试图掌控
You should stop trying
要学会放下 活在当下
Learn to hold things with an open hand because you really only have control over one thing
当下的态度才是最重要的
and that’s your attitude towards the present moment
他说到 不要忧虑 要去享受和朋友间的畅谈
Stop worrying he says and choose to enjoy a good conversation with a friend
去享受扑面的阳光
or the Sun on your face
去享受和所爱的人共进美食
or a good meal with people that you care about
去享受生活中每一件简单的事情
The simple things in life
是的 无论是好事或是坏事 都是神丰盛的恩典
Yes and both the good things and the bad because both are rich gifts from God
这就是《传道书》中令人赞叹的智慧
and that’s the surprising wisdom of ecclesiasticus
听批评家讲道是痛苦的
Listening to the critic is painful
会让你看到人生阴暗的一面
and can lead you into some dark places
因而 作者在书的结尾强调
and that’s why the author speaks up at the end of the book
他不想让你失掉希望
He doesn’t want you to lose hope
只是想让你谦卑
He wants to make you humble
即使你还不明白人生的真谛 仍要坚信人生有意义
Into someone who trusts that life has meaning even when you can’t make sense of it
坚信终有一天上帝会显明一切 按公义审判我们的作为
that one day God will clear the Hevel and bring his justice on all that we’ve done
所以 他告诉我们 敬畏上帝
and so he tells us that the proper response to all of this is to fear the lord
遵守神的诫命才是正确的人生态度
and keep his Commandments
这些就是《传道书》的内容
and that’s the book of Ecclesiastes
好 下面讲道的是《圣经》中另一本《智慧书》
Now there’s one more voice in the Bible’s wisdom literature
《约伯记》
and that’s the book of Job
他会带给我们智慧之旅中最需要的观念
and he will bring us the final much-needed perspective on our journey into wisdom
嘿！感谢观看
Hey! Thanks for watching this video
我们制作了很多类似的视频发布在YouTube上
We make a lot more videos like this one here on our youtube channel
请去观看吧
so check them out
我们相信整本《圣经》是一个统一的故事 引导我们归向耶稣基督
We believe the Bible is a unified story that leads to Jesus
给予我们当代人智慧
and has wisdom to offer the modern world
所以 我们制作的视频涉及《圣经》中的每一本书
so we’re making videos that explore all the books of the Bible
阐述每本书的主要观点以及独特的构思
Their main ideas and their unique design
我们还制作了一些关于整本《圣经》主题的视频
We’re also making videos about key themes that run through the whole biblical story
还有更多的视频已列入计划
there’s a lot more videos and series planned
正因你们的大力支持 《圣经》工程才能够实施
And all of these Bible Project resources are possible because of your support
你可以作一次性的捐助
You can make a one-time gift
也可以成为我们的月度支持者
Or you could become part of our growing monthly support team
我们的目标是将所有的视频免费对公众开放
and the goal is to make this whole video library available for free to anyone anywhere
你可以登录jointhebibleproject.com网站加入我们
You can join us by going to jointhebibleproject.com
下载全解析版本的视频 海报 学习指南
Download full resolution versions of these videos, posters, study guide
完全免费
It’s all for free there
你们真是太好了！谢谢你们的支持！
You guys are awesome. Thanks for the support